Rental Boyfriend ; Meanie

Chapter 2

Soonyoung glances at the message and says, "They're not really giving you a choice here, are they?"

Wonwoo shrugs. He sees the skepticism in Soonyoung's eyes and silently hopes that he won't advise Wonwoo against it. Even though it's Wonwoo's decision, his best friend's approval still means a lot to him. But Soonyoung suddenly grins, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"It could be fun," Soonyoung says, and that's really all that Wonwoo needed to hear.

"Do you know the venue?" Wonwoo asks. He knows that it's near campus, but he's never been inside.

"Yeah it's a pretty nice sports bar. Usually quite crowded, so you should be safe. Tell the bartender I said hi!"

"Who's the bartender?"

"Jeonghan. He's a big fan of the lacrosse team. When he was still a student here, he briefly dated one of the players from a few years back, Joonmyun. He was the captain when our current captain, Chanyeol, was a freshman."

"What's his name again? Jeonghan?"

"Yep. Long hair, pale skin, looks like an angel but is actually the devil. Hard to miss."

"I'll keep an eye out for him."

Considering how nervous Wonwoo was for the video call, he's not as jittery or tense as he thought he'd be. In fact, Wonwoo is more excited than anything to finally meet this person.

Wonwoo feels painfully out of place when he arrives at 17 Carat, a swanky wood-panelled sports bar filled with robust middle aged men watching baseball on large flat screen TVs lining the walls. This looks like the kind of place Junhui would go with his coworkers on a Friday evening, not somewhere Wonwoo would pick out for a date.

At exactly 21 years old, he's about a decade younger than the rest of the crowd. Wonwoo almost half-expects to be carded when he's approached by a bartender who notices him sitting by himself at the end of the bar.

Not Jeonghan , Wonwoo thinks, picking out the man's features. He doesn't fit Soonyoung's description; this man has an olive complexion and short, coppery hair. Wonwoo's suspicion is confirmed when somebody from the other end of the bar calls out, "Mingyu!" and the bartender turns around to call back, "Just a minute!"

"Can I get you something to drink?" Mingyu asks, rolling up his sleeves to reveal long stretches of tanned skin.

"Not right now, thank you. Waiting for someone," Wonwoo says, glancing at his watch. 7:01 pm, which means that Wonwoo arrived just on time. Maybe his date is aiming to arrive fashionably late.

Mingyu's nods knowingly. "Gotcha. Well, let me know if you need anything. Just holler Mingyu and I'll be here, at your service."

"I will," Wonwoo promises. "Thanks, Mingyu."

At the sound of Wonwoo saying his name, Mingyu's sharp features soften into a crooked grin. His face instantly transforms from icy aloofness to something much sweeter.

Heat starts to crawl up Wonwoo's face when Mingyu checks on him twenty minutes later, and he's still sitting alone. "Are you sure I can't get you anything?" Mingyu asks sympathetically.

In truth, Wonwoo's throat is dry and his stomach is starting to growl. "I'll have some lemonade, please," he finally requests, giving into his thirst.

"Sure thing."

A few minutes later, Mingyu brings out a tall, icy glass of lemonade with condensation dripping down the sides and a red plastic basket overflowing with chicken tenders and French fries.